New York Yankees: 2 Glaring Needs To Address In the Offseason

October 25, 2022

It's back to the drawing board for the New York Yankees, for the 14th straight season. There are a number of needs that the team should look to address in the offseason. One of them, the bullpen, might be taken care of simply by important arms returning to full health. 

And hey, they solved their center field problem, thanks to the trade for Harrison Bader. 

But that still leaves at least a couple of crucial issues to be taken care of. Following are two of the Yankees' most glaring needs to address this offseason:

1. Re-Sign Aaron Judge—At Any Cost

They offered him a $213M package in the spring; the Yankees' franchise player bet on himself, however, and the result: that offer will need to be almost doubled now. 

Judge—62 home runs or no 62 home runs—is the face of the Yankees. He cannot be allowed to slip out of the Bronx to a rival. And make no mistake, big-market rivals are ready to pounce.

Brian Cashman saved money by not going after a big shortstop in the free agent market last offseason (and very likely won't be again this year), so it's not like the money isn't there. 
Does Judge want to stay? He's said so all along, but... 

"I've been clear about that since I first wore the pinstripes. But we couldn't get something done before spring training. Now I'm a free agent. We'll see what happens."

2. Re-Make The Left Side Of The Infield

At shortstop, Isiah Kiner-Falefa was not, and can no longer be, the answer. As alluded to above, there will once again be a plethora of superstars available on the free agent market—Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts, Dansby Swanson, Carlos Correa. But it's quite likely that Cashman will be praying for that spot to be filled by the team's No. 1 prospect, Anthony Volpe, graduating to the big leagues. And it just might be. 

But Josh Donaldson? His bat has sunk to unacceptable levels. His strikeouts were at historically bad levels in the postseason. 

His defining moment came in Game 1 of the ALDS against the Cleveland Guardians. He hit what he thought was a home run and started his HR trot. Only it wasn't, and he was tagged out at first.  

He went 3-for-27 after that, with 14 strikeouts. He finished the playoffs by striking out multiple times in seven straight postseason games, becoming just the second player in MLB playoff history to do that. 

Yes, his defense at third is still top-notch, but it can't make up for the black hole that he's become on offense. 

A new third baseman is an absolute necessity for 2023. Even if it means eating the $21M he earns next year.  

Photo: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports



Go To: NFL Rumors | NBA Rumors | NHL Rumors

Post a Comment